


Reasons to Live

by Cheeseydare



Series: Reign [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: !BookJon in Both Appearance and Temperament, Dadvos in Prime Form, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Jon Snow is Not Called Aegon, Kink: Forehead Kisses?, Targaryen Unity, The smut that was promised, like... a lot of them, targcest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:41:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheeseydare/pseuds/Cheeseydare
Summary: Jaeron contemplates his fears amidst the ruins of Harrenhal.The royal couple find time for themselves.Arya proposes a plan.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Series: Reign [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631986
Comments: 13
Kudos: 47





	Reasons to Live

**Author's Note:**

> This installment took a minute to finish. I'm not going to complain about my current situation because it's a lot better than most people but all the changes had writing pushed to the bottom of my priorities. I had some free time and inspiration and, well, almost 7k words later, here we are.  
> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

_To say Harrenhal was enormous failed to truly convey the scale of the place,_ he had thought as they first rode into the abandoned castle. 

Jaeron remembered that maester Luwin had mentioned the keep in a lesson when he was a child, as part of the history of the Conquest. Seeing the remnants of Harren’s arrogance melted by his ancestors was humbling even three centuries later. He had been atop Rhaegal as he flooded the world with flame but he could scarcely imagine how it must have looked as the Black Dread turned the stone so hot it glowed. 

His wife had likewise looked about in awe. Every day of their march marked the furthest south he had ever been but it wasn’t as if Dany had seen any of this land either. The both of them were determined to be good rulers, the kind their children and children’s children would idolize, that smallfolk and nobles alike would remember as warmly as Jaehaerys and Alyssane and Aegon V. The previous night after they had settled in, she suggested that a royal progress early in their reign would help them learn more about their people’s needs and wants and the land they wished to rule. 

Now, though, Jae was making his way through the extensive grounds in search of the godswood. It would be his last chance to kneel before a weirwood for the foreseeable future and he was desperate for the peace the Old Gods brought him. Though he had little doubt that they would win their fight with Cersei Lannister, he now had more to lose than ever, people more precious to him than any crown or title could ever hope to be. 

Dany and their unborn child. Arya, what was left of Bran, hells, even Sansa. Ghost and Rhaegal. Davos and Tormund. Missandei and Grey Worm as well, who he had gotten to know better given the time they spent around his wife. He vowed to protect all of them, to see them live the lives they deserved for their faith in him. To shield them from the evils of the world.

He nodded to the men and women he passed, most scrambling to clear his path and bow. It was a display that made him uncomfortable but Jae knew he would be dealing with it for the rest of his life if everything went to plan. He wondered if they even actually recognized him or just the pommel of Longclaw. Unlike Dany, he certainly didn’t stand out in a crowd. 

It was with a sigh of relief that he stepped through the gates and into the sprawling godswood. Jaeron wasn’t sure what it was about godswoods but each he had visited seemed to block out any sound from beyond their walls, leaving behind only a still tranquility and Harrenhal was no exception. Despite the general unkempt state of the grounds he found himself at ease amongst the wooded area. Many of the trees had been stripped bare by winter but the sentinels and pine trees were decorated with the light dusting of snow from the previous night. 

The heart tree was like so many other weirwoods he had seen; bone white bark offset by blood red leaves, a twisted face stained by centuries of sap. In turns terrifying and comforting, the eyes of his gods, and those of his uncles, and mother, and ancestors uncounted looked upon him as knelt in the frosted grass. 

“Old Gods, hear my plea. Keep my family safe, please. I’m not a good man nor a perfect one, but I’ve tried every day to be the best I can. If anything I’ve ever done has been of any worth to you, _please,_ I beg you to keep Daenerys and our child safe. If my life is the cost of this I’ll give it gladly,” he whispered, his breath clouding the air. 

Jae dropped his chin to his chest as the fear and worries of the past few days crawled up his throat and threatened to choke him. He wavered between sheer ecstasy and panic every time he even so much as thought about Dany and the child growing within her. It was the most confusing and wonderful blend of emotions he had ever felt. He had sworn to her more times than he could remember that she would always be enough when she believed herself barren and he hadn’t been lying but the knowledge that they would share a child of their own blood somehow strengthened their love more than he thought possible.

They had upped the pace to reach Harrenhal in the past few days so they hadn’t lain together until the previous night and Jae swore he could still feel the scratch marks along his torso. Within moments of finally getting each other alone they had gone at the other like animals, buckles and ties shredded beyond repair. Their passion, which had always been nearly too much to handle, felt stronger, burned brighter, burrowed through him until she consumed every last piece of his being.

It still gave him a heady feeling to see the love and desire reflected back at him in her violet eyes. He wondered if this was the madness that had overcome his father; not the usual Targaryen variety but that of love. A love so deep that Jaeron knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his family, no act too dishonorable, no person he wouldn’t slay. Every morning since that first night aboard the boat, he thought about simply taking her and the dragons and Ghost and leaving to somewhere no one could follow, to hide away and raise their family in peace. Of course, he knew Dany would never allow it, determined as she was to help everyone but it was a nice dream. 

The soft crunch of boots reached him long before the person wearing them did. Jae took a few deep breaths to regain his composure, listening as the person drew closer. He didn’t expect anyone to attack him, least of all here, but his hand drifted to the dirk at his hip regardless. With a soft exhale he loosened the tension in his body as he saw Davos’ weathered face peek around the side of a very wide pine tree. 

“Ah, knew I would find you here, lad,” the old smuggler chuckled. He glanced at the weirwood for a moment, clearly unsure if he was interrupting. 

“The peace was nice while it lasted,” Jae replied with a smirk as he pushed himself to his feet. He waved Davos forward, his purpose for visiting the godswood fulfilled. 

Davos placed his hands across his chest. “You wound me.” 

He snorted at the loyal man’s jest and turned to look upon the weirdwood for a moment. Davos laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as they contemplated the old tree together. Jae was thankful that the older man let him have the silence of this moment for both knew that outside the walls of the godswood were a line of people, conversations, and decisions that never seemed to diminish no matter how long he spent working. 

“Something on your mind?” Davos asked quietly. 

There were only a handful of people who Jae thought actually cared about his answer to that question and Davos was included. Still, a lifetime of shrugging off other’s worries warred with his desire for help. He glanced at the other man, who squeezed his shoulder lightly as his beard twitched with a small smile. In the end, his need for advice outweighed his ingrained response. 

“I’m terrified, Davos. I have more to lose than ever before... Dany, our child. What the fuck do I know about being a father? At the same time as we try and set the realm to rights? What was I thinking?” he whispered hoarsely. 

Davos made a low noise of acknowledgment. “I think having more to lose is just another way of sayin’ you have reasons to live for. Focus on that, lad, and you’ll be alright as long as you get back to Her Grace every time. As for being a father, let me tell you a little secret; no one has any clue what they’re doing. I had more children than fingers at one point and what worked for one failed with another. You want to know what I learned?” 

Jae nodded slowly, his attention fully on his friend. Davos didn’t often talk about the sons he had lost fighting for Stannis nor the ones he had left behind. He could have kicked himself for forgetting and swore he would see the man reunited with them when this was all over. 

“The best you can do is try and raise ’em to be better than you. Tell ‘em you’re proud of ‘em and love ‘em. Trust me, once they're born and you hold ‘em in your arms, the only thing you want is for ‘em to be safe and happy,” Davos said softly. 

He nodded slowly, feeling a little piece of the worry in his gut ease. “I never really thought about having children. Well, maybe I did once when I was much younger but certainly not once I knew what being a bastard meant. After all, no woman would marry me and I refused to subject a child to the kind of life I had. Then I swore my vows and neither marriage nor children were an option. Some days, Davos, it feels _too_ good and I’m just waiting for something awful to balance out the scales,” he admitted quietly. “And I hate feeling like that. I have everything I ever wanted and some I never dreamed of and it feels like I’m tainting it somehow by looking over my shoulder.” 

Davos’ brow furrowed before he shrugged. “I’ve never been big on predicting the future but if anyone has earned some good fortune it’s you and Her Grace.”

“I’m sure plenty of other people have earned a good break as well,” he replied with a small frown. 

“And you two’ll be the ones to give it to ‘em, once you’ve got that throne back,” Davos said clapping him on the back. “This realm desperately needs a just woman and an honorable man ruling it.”

Jae huffed as the ghost of smile tugged at his lips. The unwavering support of the people around him still humbled him. He knew that he needed to continue to earn it and he had every intention of doing so. _“A man gets what he earns,”_ his uncle Benjen had told him and just because he had something didn’t mean he couldn’t lose it. 

Davos accompanied him from the godswood, regaling him with a close call he once had in Tyrosh over a ‘delivery’ he had made. Jae tried to imagine the easygoing man next to him as a young and daring smuggler but his imagination wasn’t quite so good. His friend liked to claim he wasn’t brave but Jae thought he must have been to risk his life so. 

As they meandered back through the castle grounds Jae was both hopeful and relieved as he saw the interactions between the Westerosi forces and the Essosi. The Riverlands men who had joined their march along the way were still weary but those of the North and Vale had forged a bond of blood and steel with the Dothraki and Unsullied. They were seeing what he had learned years ago beyond the Wall, that men were still men regardless of where they came from and that life carried on in familiar ways despite different languages or traditions. Regardless of the animosities that might remain between their liege lords, the smallfolk had begun to meld together. 

Jae had in turn proven himself to those who had sworn themselves to his wife. Despite the language barrier, the Dothraki understood and respected strength. They knew he had married their Khaleesi and put a babe in her belly, that he rode a dragon as well as he could a horse, and that he had slain the ‘Khal’ of the undead ice demons. If that wasn’t enough, Jae sparred every day that time permitted and had yet to lose. 

The Unsullied had only required a directive from Daenerys, though he still tried to find time to speak with as many of them as he could. Despite their implacable appearance, Jae found that many of them had sharp senses of humor and desires for a better world. Their dedication to fulfill Dany’s vision despite the horrors that had been inflicted upon them both humbled and inspired him.

He realized Davos had fallen silent as they made their way inside. With a sigh he drew to a stop. 

“I’m sorry, Davos. I wasn’t trying to ignore you, I just got caught up in my thoughts.” 

His friend simply laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as he had earlier. “Nothing to worry about lad. You’ve a lot on your mind. Besides, you’re a natural at brooding, it’s a good look for ya.” 

Jae snorted and shook his head. “I swear when this is all over, you and I will share a flagon of good ale. I don’t say it enough, but I _am_ grateful for everything you’ve done and for your continued support.” 

Davos smiled at him with a sheen in his eyes. He wasn’t sure how or when but the wily old smuggler turned knight and royal advisor had come to be like a father to him, someone he leaned on for honest council and a friendly ear. With one last squeeze of his shoulder, Davos left him to climb the Kingspyre in search of Dany. 

The whole of Harrenhal was crumbling to rubble and had been for a long time so the Kingspyre was simply the best of the worst. Wind howled through the openings, stirring the snow that had settled there the previous night. Jae had been told that another of the five towers produced even more noise than his current residence and he shuddered to imagine trying to rest within. 

Their chambers were on the third floor with a balcony that faced southeast and allowed for a beautiful look at the sun rising over the Riverlands and the Gods Eye. Dany had watched that morning, wrapped in his cloak with the sunlight playing off her hair, appearing in that moment more exquisite than she normally did. 

It amazed him that she continued to take his breath away and he vowed never to take her for granted nor that she had chosen him to be vulnerable with. He had stripped himself bare before her as well, in a way he never had before, laid each of his flaws and weaknesses at her feet and she had still taken him into her heart. 

Unsullied lined his path, completely still in their vigil. Jae gave each of them a small nod as he passed before finding Grey posted outside the chambers he shared with Dany. The taciturn commander gave him a small nod but halted from knocking when Jae raised his hand. He moved closer and heard his wife speaking with someone. 

“Whatever spirits are made of, his and mine are the same,” she said. Jae pressed his ear to the door, curious about who his wife was speaking with. 

“That is the most disgustingly romantic thing I have ever heard. Seven hells that’s my brother you’re talking about. I already have to pretend that my niece or nephew will just magically appear when they’re born so I don’t have to imagine _that,_ ” his sister replied. Jae could see clearly the way Arya’s face would be twisted in his mind and couldn’t stop himself from laughing. 

As he tried to stifle his amusement, Arya appeared in the doorway. She tried to scowl at him but he pulled her into a hug and messed her hair until she pushed him firmly in the gut. He snuck in a quick kiss to her forehead before dancing away from her punch but he still saw the smile she tried to hide. Dany watched them with amusement, his heavy cloak still draped about her shoulders to ward off the cold. Jae wrapped one arm around her waist as the other settled on her stomach. She giggled at him even as their lips met.

“Mm, it’s nice to see you as well,” she murmured, twining her hands around his neck. 

Jae wasn’t surprised to see Ghost and Nymeria curled up against each other in front of the hearth behind Dany. Arya’s large she-wolf companion and her plentiful pack of smaller wolves had followed her from the riverlands to Winterfell and were back once again. Ghost had already begun to favor Dany’s presence over his own back at Winterfell but now with her confirmed pregnancy the silent direwolf refused to leave her side. Nymeria tended to be with Ghost unless Arya took her hunting or wished to spend time with her. 

“What were you two talking about?” he asked, eying them warily. It hadn’t sounded bad from outside but the two shared a similar sense of humor which he had quickly learnt meant trouble, often for him. 

“Why you, of course,” Dany replied, pressing a kiss to his jaw. 

“Only good things, I hope,” he said. Arya’s answering chuckle was not reassuring in the least. Neither was his wife’s growing smirk. 

“Always. Daenerys rather enjoyed the story of how you ended up sprinting through the courtyard in just your smallclothes,” Arya answered giddily. 

Jae groaned and buried his face in Dany’s hair as the two of them began laughing. He could feel his face heating with embarrassment but couldn’t find it within himself to care. The sound of Arya gasping for breath from laughing too hard and Dany shaking with mirth filled him with a joy he would have thought long lost to him before the two halves of his family came together. 

When they finally composed themselves after a long while, he drew back and was met with a sight that made him short of breath. Dany’s smile was wide and true, crinkling eyes that held a sheen from suppressed mirth, and cheeks rosy with merriment. She cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 

Arya cleared her throat. “Right, well, I’ll talk to you two later,” she mumbled, toeing the ground with her shoe. She slipped out before either of them could stop her. 

He watched the door for a moment before turning back to Dany. “I can’t believe she told you that story.” 

“I like it. I like knowing that there was joy in your life, even if your childhood wasn’t perfect. I imagine your sullen brooding was rather adorable as a child,” she replied with an impish grin. 

Jae snorted then shook his head, brow furrowed. “As bad as it ever got, it was still better than your own. I wish you could have had a family, a better life.” 

She shrugged lightly. “It made me who I am. Everything I have ever done, seen, or experienced has led me to here, right now. I’m surrounded by people whom I love and trust, by family. I have very little cause to complain at the moment. There are many in worse positions and I intend to help them as much as I can.” 

“You’ll be an amazing queen, Dany. You’ve already proved it time and time again, and I’ll be right with you for all the rest of my days,” he vowed firmly. 

Her answering smile was radiant. He hummed in contentment as their lips met in an unhurried kiss. Dany pulled away before he could lose himself in her. 

“I wish to ride today.” 

“I think that can be arranged,” he murmured, pulling her flush against his body. 

She hummed at him, amused by his response. “I meant our children, Jae. _That_ will be happening later. If you take me now I won’t wish to get up for the rest of the day and there are things I would like to do.” 

He pressed a long kiss to her forehead before he pulled back. “Of course. I can feel Rhaegal at the back of my mind, practically bouncing with excitement for us to fly together again.”

“Best not keep them waiting then. Help me dress?” 

“As my queen commands,” he replied with a joking bow. 

She snorted and pushed at his head. Dany was already wearing riding leathers so it was a simple matter of removing his cloak and helping her fasten her own overcoat. It was made of thick black cloth and lined with fur, fitted along her torso before flaring at her hips so she could sit astride comfortably. As he affixed a deep red cloak cut to resemble scales over her right shoulder, she pulled on a pair of leather fur-lined gloves. 

Once his heavy cloak was settled on his shoulders, Dany looked him over from head to toe. She gave him an approving nod and took his hand in her own, leading him out of their chambers. Each of the Unsullied thumped their spears as they passed them with Grey Worm and Ghost trailing after them silently. 

Just before they exited the tower, Dany paused with her eyes closed and took a deep breath in what Jae now knew was a sort of ritual to prepare to live up to each of the titles she had earned. With a firm squeeze of her hand he signalled his own silent support. She returned it and then stepped out. 

They passed through the middle ward, smiling and nodding to those they came across. As they walked by the armory and the smithy and Hunter’s Hall, Jae was once more struck by the sheer expanse of the grounds. Winterfell had been constructed on a massive scale and as a boy he and his cousins had found no end of entertainment exploring it all but Harrenhal could easily have fit all of his boyhood home within its walls with room to spare. 

It wasn’t until they passed beneath the massive gatehouse that he spoke. 

“Will the Dothraki expect me to grow a braid now that we’re married?”

Dany stopped and eyed him incredulously. For a moment there was silence before she began laughing. He watched her for a moment, lips twitching in subdued amusement until he broke and joined in as she leaned against him for support. It was a long while before they caught their breath and even longer before they could look at each other with breaking down once more.

Finally she responded. “Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know. I was just wondering is all,” he said with a bashful shrug. 

They continued on their way even as she watched him with a small smile. “I think I read somewhere that the first Jaehaerys had a braid that reached his waist so you wouldn’t be the first Targaryen king with long hair, at least.” 

Jae didn’t respond as they entered the clearing that the dragons had created and claimed. The remnants of uprooted and broken trees were scattered everywhere to make room for the bulk of two already large and ever growing dragons. Drogon and Rhaegal greeted them with low clicks and chirps, each extending their head to their rider. He scratched and smoothed the warm emerald scales along Rhaegal’s jaw and was rewarded with a huff of hot air. 

He circled around to inspect his mount’s wounded wing. While Rhaegal had been able to fly by the time they began marching south, he was unsteady and sluggish in the air and the effort was not without pain. Now though, newer leathery skin had closed the hole left by the Others and his flight was as smooth as ever. 

Rhaegal craned his head around to stare at him with a large bronze eye. Jae drew a rumbling purr by scratching at the base of one of the horns atop his head. The excitement pulsing over the bond from Rhaegal made him giddy with anticipation. He watched as Dany cooed at her largest son whose molten eyes were closed in contentment. She saw him looking at her and stepped to meet him between the two large bodies, an eager smile on her lips. 

“Ready, my love?” she asked breathlessly. 

He nodded but caught her hand before she could turn to mount Drogon. A gentle pull brought her against his chest so he could kiss her. Her lips curved against his as he cupped her jaw tenderly. Dany pressed another quick kiss to the corner of his mouth when they separated to gulp in air then stepped away with a grin and scaled Drogon. He smirked and clambered up Rhaegal, still with less grace than his wife but far more than his first clumsy attempt. 

The two dragons turned and launched in opposite directions, their powerful wingbeats stirring up large swirls of snow. Jae let out a delighted whoop as Rhaegal climbed rapidly through the sky. The sensation of exhilaration and freedom of flying still astonished him and the dragon beneath him responded to his emotion with a bone rattling roar of approval. Drogon answered in kind as they banked around to fly alongside Dany. 

She looked perfectly at ease perched atop the enormous mass of black and red scales like so many of their ancestors before them. Though the wind was whipping too loudly around him for Jae to hear her, he could clearly see as Dany’s pale silver hair tilted in his direction, only for Drogon to climb higher. He urged Rhaegal to follow with a laugh on his lips, thankful that they had this chance to relax. 

They circled and rose and dipped only for the dragons to flare their wings and skim along. It was still amazing to him that he was seated atop a dragon in the sky. Jaeron swore that he would never grow complacent of them, never stop appreciating the wonder and majesty of them. 

When they finally landed Dany’s cheeks were flushed, her violet eyes wide with elation. He had barely gotten his feet on the ground when she crashed into him, her lips taking his without pause. Jae’s hands landed at her hips to keep her from toppling them both over as he met her tongue stroke for stroke, swallowing the moans she gave. 

Drogon and Rhaegal curled up about them, their massive bodies both shielding them from view and providing a cocoon of heat. Her hands speared through his hair, nails scratching along his scalp sending tingles of pleasure down his spine. Jae groaned as he kissed down the soft column of her throat, little nips of teeth causing her to arch into him until he sucked a mark onto the base of her neck.

“Fuck, Jae. I need you,” she gasped. Dany moved back just far enough to help pull him free of his cloak before she pushed him to lay on it. His sword belt was discarded in a rush before he stretched out on his back. 

Jae watched mesmerized as she shucked her boots and leggings, shortly followed by her smallclothes. Dany stepped up and knelt over his head, one hand holding the skirts of her coat in a bunch, so he could see just how plump and wet her sex was. He grasped her arse and pulled her lower until his lips could taste her sweet cunt. A swipe from her hole to the nub at the top brought her down fully, so his nose nestled amongst the silver curls at her apex. 

Dany moved her hips achingly slow, dragging her soaked cunt across his mouth and chin. His tongue lapped and swirled at her nub each time it was within reach. Jae was fairly certain he might die of suffocation but decided it was the greatest death he could imagine, her tangy scent invading his nose and making his head spin. The sound of his wife moaning his name from the pleasure he brought her seemed the sweetest noise he’d ever heard.

“Gods, Jae. Oh fuck yes, right there. I’m so close,” she whimpered, her voice wrecked.

One of her hands came to rest at the crown of his head as she stopped her motions. Jae swirled his tongue in firm strokes against her pearl, watching as her chest heaved and her head tilted back. A long, low keening was his only warning before her hips began jerking minutely as she climaxed, riding the waves of pleasure against his face, Valyrian words half-formed and falling from her lips. 

She shakily swung herself off of him, stretching out beside him bonelessly. Jae rolled onto his side, laying a loose arm beneath her breasts to tease her side. He watched as she tried to regain her breath, full lips parted and eyes lazily closed. 

“Was your ride what you thought it would be?” 

Dany snorted, her head lolling to face him with a smirk. “It was adequate.” 

He rolled over top of her with a growl, settling himself between her spread thighs. “Only adequate? Do I not please you, wife?” 

Jae kissed along her neck as he ground his still covered cock against her cunt. Dany arched underneath him, her breathy pants in his ear spurring him on. He leaned back on his heels to roughly undo his breeches. Her lithe hands wrapped around him the moment he got them out of the way. Jae leaned forward onto his forearms and groaned as he slid his cock along her sopping core. 

She kissed along his jaw, her hand returned to its spot within his hair. Jae could hear each time her breath caught as his cock rolled over her nub. Dany placed a gentle kiss on the spot behind his ear that sent pulses of pleasure straight through him and then sucked her own mark into his skin.

“You have yet to displease me, husband, but I will be very put out if you don’t start fucking me right now.” 

Jae grasped his cock and hilted himself in one firm thrust. He groaned as he pulled out and pushed back into her velvet heat, even as she wrapped a leg around his waist and dug a heel into his arse. They found their tempo, the slap of skin meeting and separating filling the air.

Her cunt squeezed him each time their hips met sending pulses of fire to the tips of his toes. Jae hooked an arm under her right knee and pulled her leg higher, changing the angle to allow each of his strokes to push into a spot that made her quiver. Dany gasped and he lifted his head to see wide pupils encased in thin rings of violet staring at him needily. Their lips met in a wet tangle of tongue and teeth, their moans stifled in the other’s mouth. 

“Sweet hells you look so good taking my cock.” He watched as her hand slid down to where they were joined to rub firm circles onto her nub. The sight of her soaked lips split around his thickness nearly undid him. “Fuck, just like that love. I want to feel your sweet cunt peak.” 

Jae could feel the sweat beading and slipping down his face, the heat and exertion more than countering the winter chill. Dany tugged his head down to nuzzle against his nose, the sound of her harsh breathing nearly drowning the wet slide of his cock filling her, of their skin meeting, of his own pulse thumping in his ears. Her cunt was fluttering around him as her hips started to lose their rhythm. 

“Ah, right there, oh fuck.” 

She snapped and arched under him, her heat clenching down on him like the realm’s best vise. Dany’s head burrowed into his neck as she shook apart in his arms and that was the end of him. Jae pressed himself as deep as he could manage and peaked with a throaty groan, his whole body taut as a bowstring. He could fight or ride or work for hours but a single climax turned his every muscle useless. 

It took him a few moments to trust that his coordination had returned before he slowly pulled free of her and collapsed on his side. Jae rolled onto his back as she slid over to curl into his side, one of her legs resting atop his. He tilted his head to see that her eyes were closed but there was a soft, satisfied smile turning up her lips. 

“Look what you’ve done, Jaeron Targaryen.” 

He huffed. “Oh, aye, because you played no part.” 

“Indeed. I was a simple maid before you came along with your depraved intentions,” she said primly. Dany’s sweet laughter betrayed her true feelings, though, and he soon joined in. 

Jae was content to lay there, languid and sated as they usually were after coupling. Mayhap they would have laid there for the rest of the day, rousing only for food or another round if they were simple people but they weren’t. They were the last Targaryens and they had responsibilities beyond themselves so they slowly rose and fixed their clothes. Dany’s hair was more disheveled than he knew how to fix and he couldn’t imagine his own looked much better but the excuse of flying served to cover their appearance. 

Once they were presentable, he pulled Dany into his arms to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. She sighed and sagged against his chest. They stayed wrapped in the other, basking in the peace of the moment until they finally separated to mount their respective dragons and return to camp. 

Missandei’s smile was knowing as she fixed Daenerys’ hair but Jae couldn’t bring himself to care overly much. His wife was pregnant, after all, so it wasn’t as if anyone expected them to be chaste. He thought mayhap the Dothraki had the right idea about sex and intimacy, that there was no shame in the passion that existed between people so long as they were willing. 

By the time Dany had left their chambers there was no sign that they had been sprawled out along the ground, unmoving, only hours before. They sat through a handful of meetings to discuss the distribution of rations as winter set in, with every region wrangling for more of the share. The river lords were also keen to lament all the damage they had suffered in the years since the outbreak of war and she made sure it was all duly recorded so they would have a baseline to start repairs once they were officially in control. 

Edmure Tully in particular looked at Dany and himself like there was something foul under his nose, so Jae had Ghost sit behind his wife and stare unblinkingly at the trout. The way the man fled the room amused him more than it should have. 

It was the last meeting of the day, however, which filled him with dread. Arya had come to see them after supper and for just the briefest moment, he saw a flash of the girl he had known, who sought his approval and praise as they faced down all those who mocked them. Then it was gone and the cool, self-assured young woman returned. 

“I have a plan but I need you to listen to all of it because you aren’t going to like some of it.” 

He shared a glance with his wife. “Alright, what is it?”

“I sneak into King’s Landing through the tunnels, then get into the Red Keep, kill Cersei, assume her face and surrender the city without bloodshed.” 

There was a moment of silence before he shot to his feet. “NO! Absolutely not! Your plan is forbidden and so help me, Arya, if you try to fight me on this.” 

His sister observed him impassively as if she had expected this exact reaction. He looked to his wife, whose lower lip was between her teeth in what he recognized as thoughtfulness. The feeling of fear crawling up his throat from earlier in the day returned forcefully. 

“My love, mayhap we should consider it.” Dany stood and took a small step towards him but he stumbled back, ashamed to feel tears pricking his eyes.

He shook his head and took a shuddery breath, focusing on Arya. “I thought you were _dead_. For years I mourned you, my little sister who was always diving headfirst into trouble. I just got you back, please, don’t do this.” 

Arya was up and in his arms before he could blink, strong limbs gripping her to him. Jae laid his cheek atop her head, feeling the tears track down his cheeks into her hair. He hadn’t meant to cry but he couldn’t seem to stop once he started, years of repressed grief finally being expunged and replaced with the knowledge that his sister was alive and well. 

When they separated both were red-eyed but steadfastly ignoring it. Arya sniffled and punched his chest. “I’m not going to die, stupid. I survived and trained for this, I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t…” he whispered, voice wrecked from emotion.

Dany’s soft palm touched his cheek. “Is it because it’s Arya going the only reason you’re against the plan?” 

Jae nodded reluctantly, already knowing it was selfish to value his sister’s life more than the thousands who would die in a bloody fight. He also knew his little sister was very similar to him in her need to be in the action, to feel their heart race and their blood heat and that she wasn’t that little girl anymore, that she was a capable warrior. None of that matter weighed against possibly losing her.

There was no judgement in Dany’s eyes as she accepted his answer which he was grateful for. Instead, she turned and fixed Arya with an intense look. “You will return _alive._ If at any point it feels too dangerous, abandon the plan and return immediately. We are prepared to fight for the city so failure is not a setback. Am I clear? I have no desire to see my husband’s heart irreparably shattered because you got yourself killed for petty pride or vengeance.” 

Arya stared at her in a little bit of awe before turning to face him. “I really, really like her. Good job.” 

He couldn’t stop the snort that escaped him and it eased some of the tension in his chest. Arya grinned at him for a moment, like she used to when she got mud on Sansa’s dress or escaped Septa Mordane. Jae pressed a soft kiss to her hairline, trying to reassure himself that she would be fine. Dany pulled his sister into a hug, her own concern clear. 

They stood before the fire once Arya had left, simply holding each other. It was a comfort he had never really known but found himself increasingly greedy for, to just feel her warmth and strength. Dany’s hands carded through his hair gently, lulling his eyes closed. 

“I’m sorry for my outburst earlier, I know it is selfish but…”

“But you can’t bear the thought of losing more family.” She pressed a short kiss against his throat. “It is nothing to be ashamed of, I’m certainly not. I wish I could lock you away and never let you fight again but I know I can’t because it would strip away a part of who you are; Arya is much the same way.” 

Jae saw the wisdom in her words. Gods knew how little he wanted any of his family near danger. He heaved a deep sigh as they moved apart to prepare for bed. It felt as if much of his life had been spent preparing for a fight or participating in one. He wondered when he might know peace. 

“Those look like heavy thoughts, my love.” 

Dany slid under the furs with him, fitting her back against his front. He laid a tender hand over her stomach, his thumb idly stroking the warm fabric of her sleeping shift before she linked their fingers together.

“I didn’t really expect to survive the war with the dead and I was fine with that because I had my duty to fill my life and it would see me through to my last day. I learned how to die a long time ago and I never really feared it. Now, I have more reasons than ever to live and no desire to die but I can’t shake this anxious feeling that I’m living on borrowed time. All I want is peace,” he murmured. 

“And we will have it. You told me the day we married that I make miracles happen but so do you. We are magic, Jae, it’s in our blood. I will do everything in my power to see our family happy and safe in a realm that no longer knows the call to war and I sleep easier knowing you will too. We make impossible things happen but peace is not impossible, it just requires constant work,” she replied lowly.

As Dany slowly drifted off to sleep, he thought maybe she and Davos were right, that his duty was now to protect his family and those he would rule from harm. It wasn’t about sacrificing himself anymore, it was about staying alive to do the work he knew desperately needed to be done, to enjoy the family that he had earned. It seemed to Jae like a life worth living. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
